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Monday, March 7, 2011

Kastles Stadium at The Wharf

I wasn't able to make it this morning to the press conference announcing the Washington Kastles' move to the Southwest Waterfront (AKA The Wharf), but below is the press release and some images/renderings courtesy of the Kastles:

WASHINGTON – March 7, 2011 – Today, the Washington Kastles announced that they will play the 2011 and 2012 seasons in a new stadium that will be specially constructed for them in Southwest Washington, D.C. The new Kastles Stadium at The Wharf will be located at 800 Water Street, S.W. Fans at the new stadium will watch some of the world’s best known and most iconic players against a backdrop of the Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial and the Potomac River. The Kastles, led by Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Sam Querrey, will inaugurate their new home during the 2011 World TeamTennis (WTT) season, which runs from July 4-24. “As a native Washingtonian, I am committed to investing in our community and, through the Kastles, hope to create lifelong memories for people throughout our region,” said team owner Mark Ein. “We are excited to bring the Kastles and lots of other entertaining events to our spectacular new home in Southwest Washington and are thrilled to be part of the rebirth of that part of town. We know our fans will be treated to great summer nights in one of the most unique venues anywhere.” “It has been impressive to see how the Kastles have brought the city together for the past three summers and I am thrilled to welcome them to their new home,” said D.C. Councilman Tommy Wells. “I would like to offer my thanks to Mark for bringing the Kastles to Southwest Washington and the wharf area. I can think of no better way to commemorate the new Kastles Stadium than with another title.” "We are on track to begin our outward process of creating a world class waterfront and we are thrilled that the Kastles will be part of our year-round programming plans for The Wharf, attracting lots of new people to this spectacular part of the city," said Monty Hoffman, CEO of PN Hoffman. "Kastles Stadium at The Wharf will be a great addition to the neighborhood and we look forward to working with Mark and the Kastles to bring world class tennis and community events to the site." Kastles Stadium at The Wharf, located on the site formerly occupied by Hogates Restaurant, will be easily accessible by Metro via the Waterfront-SEU and L’Enfant Plaza stations, both within three blocks of the stadium. In addition, the stadium will feature an underground parking lot and several surface lots adjacent to the site. The stadium will also host other programming throughout the year. Kastles Stadium at The Wharf will host John McEnroe and Anna Kournikova as they return to Washington during the 2011 season, as members of the New York Sportimes and the St. Louis Aces, respectively. The full 2011 Kastles roster will be determined during the March 15 WTT Roster Draft. A core principal of the Kastles franchise and its mission is to give back to those less fortunate in the Washington region and, since inception, the team has donated more than 6,000 match tickets, 3,000 tennis rackets and cash grants and other donations totaling more than $500,000 to local charities, youth groups and armed forces organizations. For the past three seasons, the Kastles and other visiting WTT players – including Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova – have hosted more than 800 local children at tennis clinics. Tickets for all seven home matches go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 15 through the website or Ticketmaster. Season tickets are now available and can be purchased by contacting info@washingtonkastles.com or calling 202-4TENNIS (483-6647). For exclusive Kastles news, ticket information and player updates, follow the Kastles on Facebook and on Twitter.

When the Kastles stadium was located in a parking lot downtown, it would be dismantled at the end of each season. However, the stadium at The Wharf will remain standing throughout the year and will be used for other events, such as concerts, cook-offs, arts festivals, beach volleyball games, and possibly an ice skating rink in the winter. A member of Ward 6 Council Member Tommy Wells' staff tweeted during the press conference that the Kastles announced a partnership with Jefferson Middle School to help bring tennis to students. I imagine this would include refurbishing the tennis courts at Jefferson, which are currently in disrepair.

I love this idea, but has anyone been around the fish market in the heat of July? It's not very pleasing to the nose, to be polite. I really wonder if patrons and athletes will want to breathe in the odor of fish for 2-3 hours... -scott

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